Utilizing waste heat of distillation.



i. SHUMAN. UTILIZING WASTE HEAT OF DISTILLATION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1907.

Patented May 23, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHBET l.

WW4. 5M

Patented May 28, 1911.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1907.

2 @HEETS SHBET 2v "UNITED STATES T @hilliCE.

FRANK SHUMAN; OF PHILADELPHIA, PENH SYLVAI'JEA.

, UTILIZING WASTE HEAT 01* IDISTILLATION.

To all whom 'it mcvy concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK SHUMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Utilizin 'Waste Heat of Distillation, of which theollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to utilize, for the performance of usefulwork, heat which is now wasted in the operation of stills of variouskinds. This ob ect I attain in the manner hereinafter set orth,referencebein had to the accompanying drawin s, in W ich-, I

igure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of apparatus for utilizingwaste heat of distillation in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is asimilar view of part of the apparatus, illustrating a slightly modifiedtype of condenser forming part; of the some, and Fig. 3 is a viewillustrating still another type of condenser which may be employed incarrying out my invention.

In the operation of oil and other stilis it is customary to convey thevapor through a condenser through which water is also causedto flow in areverse direction, and, although the vapor may, at times, reach atemperature as hi h as 600 F. when it issues from the still, the watermust be passed through the condenser in such large quantities, in orderto insure the reduction of the distillate to the desired lowtemperature, that eneration of steam, even at low pressure,

.rom the condensing water has not hitherto been effected. By myinvention, however, ll am enabled to raise the temperature of thecondensing water to such a degree that it will generate vapor underpressure below, at,- or above that of the atmosphere,ot which can beconverted temperature its heat eneligy into energy of velocity. canalso, if desired, below the boiling utilize temperatures much point ofthe water for the further generation of ower.

n the drawing, 1 represents a stili of any ordinary character having thevertical co-- urnn 2, from the upper end of which the vapor escapesthrough a pipe 3, this pipe being first coiled as shown at 4, in acondensing vessel 5, and then 1passing into a condensing vessel 6, in wich it is coiled as shown at 7. Water enters the lower portion of thecondenser 6 through a pipe 9, and a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 1,1907. Serial No. 371, 2' 9,

portion of this water after being heated by contact with the coilescapes from the con Patented May 23, 1911.

denser 6 throu- 'h a pipe 10 and enters the lower portion 0 thecondenser 5, in which it is further heated by contact with the coil 41-,the vapor passing from the condenser 5 through pipe 11 to a suitableengine, in. which is utilized for the production of power, and is thenexhausted through a pipe 12 into a condenser 18 in. which es close anapproach as possible to o perfect vacuum hes previousiy been created hymeans of a vscuurn pump Me By preference the en ine employed is one ofthe low pressure to .hine type, which is represented at 15 in the drawinas directly connected :to u dynamo 16. The condensing water need not heheated in the condenser 5 to such a temperature as to generate steamunder s pressure at or alcove that of the atmosphere, although itsternpert tture should always been high that some or all of its heatenergy will on converted into energy of velocity under the degree ofvacuum produced by the action ofthe condenser 13. The remainder of the.Water heated in the condenser 6 passes through a pipe 1? to e coil 19'in a pressure generator 20, in which is contained an a out havingboiling point lower than thefio of water, the heat of the water passingthrough the coil 19 serving to vapor ze this agent, and the vapor underpressure being conveyed from the generator fifl through a pipe 21, to onengine 22, of any suitable type, wherein the pressure of the Vuporisutilized, the exhaust from the engine 22 iling point passing through e,pipe 23 to e coil 24 in acondenser end the condensed vapor beingreturned by a pump 26 to the lowerportion of the generator 20 forrevaporizetion therein. @ondensing water is supplied to the vessel 25through a pipe 27, and escapes therefrom through a pipe 29. The con- Qdensin water enters the condenser 13 througi a pipe. 30 and, aftercirculating through the tuhes 31 of the condenser, escapes'frorn thelatter and passes through a pipe 32 into the condenser 6 at a pointwhere the Water in the latter is or about the same temperature as thatescaping from the condenser 13. The condensed steam or vaper is conveyedfrom the condenser 13 through a pi e 33 to a pump 34, and is. therebyforce through a pipe 35 into the condenser 6 at a oint correspondin withthe level at whic the waterin sai condenser upproximetes'in temperaturethat of said condensed steamer vapor.

proaching t c boiling point, so thatwhen this Water is admitted into thecondenser 5 it will be at once vaporized by the highly heated coil 4 insaid condenser, and steam under prpssure above that of the atmospherewill thereby be generated, the flow of water through the pipe 10 fromthe condenser (S to the condenser 5 bein so regulated as to prevent theflooding 0 said c0ndenser5, and thus maintain a. constant generation ofsteam in the latter.

The volume and rate of flow of the water in the condenser 5 can beindependent of the volume and rate of flow of the water in the condenser6, and the water may be passed through the latter condenser in suchvolume as to insure the lowering of the temperature of the distillate tothe desired degree without affecting the heating of the water to thedesired degree in the condenser 5 by the highly heated condenser coil 4,all of the surplus water from the condenser 6 being passed over into thegenerator 20 for the purpose of vaporizing the low-boiling agentemployed as motive power for the engine 32. By this means all of theheat contained in the distillate escaping from the still is effectivelyutilized and a very large percentage of this heat is available for thegei'ieration of steam, or vapor for power purposes, the generator forthe vaporization of the low-boiling agent being incidental or beingomitted a1- together when .it is not considered necessary to utilize allof the Waste heat of distillation. Anotheradvantage of my invention isthe reduction in the amount of condensing water required, owing to thefact that the water can be maintained in contact with the vapor coil inthe condenser 5 for a suflicient length of time to abstract from said'vapo all of the heat units in excess of 212 lithe duty of the condenser6 being to absorb the heat units between 212 F. and the degree oftemperature to which the distillate is to be reduced. 7

In that form of apparatus shown in Fig. 2, also in that shown in Fig. 3,both condensers 5 and 6 are contained in the same casing, which is,however, divided into two chambers by means of a partition 36, thesechambers communicating witheach. other through a contracted passage 10which con stitutes the equivalent of the pipe 10, in Fig. 1, the surplusWater from the condenser (3 escapeng as before through a pipe 17. In theapparatus shown in Fig. 2 the condenser 5 has a greater area than thecondenser 43 in order to provide for a greater expanse of coil 4 for thecirculation of the distillate through said upper condenser.

So far as I am aware I am the first to provide for the heating of waterin the condenser of'a still, tosuch a temperature that power can bedeveloped therefrom in a suitable engine, and the first to use inconnection with such condenser a low-pressure turbine' engine in whichthe large volumes of relatively low pressure steam or vapor supplied bysuch condenser can be utilized to the best advantage.

It will be understood that the various pipes are to be provided withsuitable valves and that the members of the apparatus will be suppliedwith pressure gages and other equipments usual in such apparatus, andfurther that no attempt has been made in the drawing to show therelative size and location of the different parts of the apparatus.

I claim:

1. The mode herein described of utilizing waste heat of the vaporresulting from the distillation of a liquid, said mode consisting incondensing said vapor by means of water and applying the water at thebeginning of the condensing operation in limited quantity, whereby itstemperature will be raised to such a degree that its heat energy can beconverted into energy of velocity.

2. The mode herein described of utilizing waste neat of distillation,said mode consist ing in subjecting the vapor issuing from the still toa two-stage condensation, by means of a flow of condensing water, andmaintaining in onestage of the condensation a rate of flow of thecondensing Water differ;

ent from that in the other stage. 3. The mode herein described ofutilizing waste heat of distillation, said mode consisting in subjectingthe vapor issuing from the still to a two-stage condensation, by meansof a flow of condensing water, using the con- (lensing water first inthe second stage of the condensation, and then subjecting a portion ofthe water thus partially heated to further heating in the first stage ofthe condensation. 4. The mode herein described of utilizing waste heatof distillation, said mode consisting in subjecting the vapor issuingfrom the still to a two-stage condensation, by means of a flow ofcondensing Water, using the condensing water first in the second stageof the condensation, then subjecting a portion of the Water thuspartially heated to further heating in the first stage of thecondensation, and continuing the latter action until the temperature ofthe water is raised'to a degree at which it will vaporize.

The mode herein described of utilizing waste heat of distillation, saidmode consisting in subjecting the vapor issuing from the still to atwo-stage condensation, by means of a flow of condens ng water, usingthe condensing water first in the-second stage of the condensat ion, andthen subjecting a portion of th water thus partially heated to furtherheating in the first stage of the'condcnsation water for the until itstemperature is raised to a degree at which it will generate steam undera pressure greater than atmospheric pressure.

ti. The mode herein described of utilizing waste heat of distillation,said mode consisting in subjecting the vapor issuing from the still to atwo-stage condensation, by means of a How of condensing water, using thecondensing water first in the second stage of the condensation; thensubjecting a portion of the water thus partially heated to furtherheating in the first stage of the condensation to still further raiseits temperature,and discharging the 1ulensi1ig water from the secondstage of the condensation independently of the discharge from the firststage.

7. The mode herein described of utilizing waste heat of distillation,said mode consisting in subjecting the 'apor issuing from the still to atwo-stage condensation, by means of a flow of condensing water,maintaining a flow in one stage of the condensation different from H atin the other stage, affecting a raise of tcn'iperature of the condensingwater from normal to a point approaching the boiling point by the secondstage of the condensation, and, by the first stage of the condensation,converting into steam a portion of the condensing water thus preheatedby the second stage of the condensation.

S. The mode herein described of utilizing waste heat of distillation,said mode consisting in subjecting the vapor from the still to atwo-stage coinlensation, by means of a fiow ot condensing water,maintaining a flow in one stage of said condensation different from thatin the other stage, partially heating the tmulensing water .by thesecond stage of the condensation, further heating, by, the first stageof the condensation, a portion of the water thus preheated, andutilizing the remaining portion of said partially heated l i l l l l*aporization of an agent having a boiling point lower than that: ofwater.

9. The mode herein described of utilizing waste heat of distillation,sai mode consisting in subjecting the vapor fr m the still to atwo-stage condensation, by means of ,a flow of'condensing water,maintaining a flow of the condensing water in one stage of thecondensation different from that; in the other stage, heating thecondensing water by the second stage of the condensation to a point ator below the boiling point, converging into steam, by the first stage ofthe C011- densation, a portion of the water -thus ,-i"- heated, anddischarging, independently of each other, the steam thus generated andthe partially heated water from the second stage of the condensation.

' 10. The mode herein described of utilizing waste heat of distillation,said mode consist: ing in subjecting the vapor from the still to atwo-stage condensation, by means of a flow of gondensing water, andmaintaining in the se' dnd stage of the condensation a flow of thecondensing water in excess of that in the first stage of thecondensation.

11. The mode herein described of utilizing wasted eat of distillation,said mode consist;- ing in subjectin the vapor from the still to atwo-stage condensation, by means of a flow of condensing water,utilizing all of the condensing water in the second stage of thecondensation, and deflecting a portion of 1t; for use as condensingwater in the first stage of the condensation.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRANK SHUMAN.

\Vitnesses HAMILTON DQTURNER, KATE A. BEADLE.

